Philomena

    I bought Philomena several years ago when I spotted it over at Bethlehem Books, but only just now had a chance to read it my myself, and I'm so glad I did.  Philomena, written and illustrated by Kate Seredy in 1957, tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl, an orphan who is raised by her grandmother in an idyllic village in the modern-day Czech Republic.  (The time period is vague, but appears to be late 19th century.)  When this grandmother dies, she is forced to travel alone to Prague to find her wealthy estranged aunt and hope she will accept Philomena as a household servant.  When the aunt cannot be found, however, Philomena must be courageous and resourceful in finding her way in the world.

    Though the premise is a little bit contrived (why didn't the kindly parish priest back home help Philomena locate her aunt before sending her off to Prague alone?), I loved the resulting story anyway.  Philomena never loses hope, despite being alone and friendless, and always prays to her dead grandmother for guidance when she is in difficulties.  She works hard at the menial jobs available to her, and it is a good reminder to today's children that even children as young as twelve or thirteen have worked full-time jobs in days past.  The charcoal illustrations are reminiscent of Garth Williams or Robert McCloskey, and help set the scene in historic Prague.  

    Another thing I really appreciate about this book is that it's written at an easy chapter-book reading level.  It is hard to find high-quality literature that seven to nine-year-olds can read to themselves, and the market for that age bracket tends to be dominated by formulaic series like The Magic Tree House.  But young girls will love identifying with Philomena and her misadventures, and following her tale to its satisfying conclusion.

Rating: A

Ages: 7-9 for independent reading